Mallomars are famous—or possibly infamous—for being a seasonal cookie, only available from September through March. Though the sales schedule seems anachronistic in these refrigerated times, the first crunch through a Mallomar’s pure chocolate coating into a soft marshmallow-and-shortbread center is cause for celebration in New York and New Jersey (where more than 70 percent of Mallomars are sold, according to Nabisco). Missing your Mallomars in August? Just make them at home.
YIELD: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen cookies
TOTAL TIME: 4 hours, including chilling and resting time
DIFFICULTY: 5
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, candy/oil and digital thermometers, pastry bag (or zip-top bag) with large round piping tip
COOKIE
1 cup (4-1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) white whole wheat flour
1 pinch kosher salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup (1-7/8 ounces) packed light brown sugar
MARSHMALLOW
2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes powdered unflavored gelatin
1 cup water, divided
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2-3/4 ounces) light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (a scant 2 cups), divided
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
MAKE THE COOKIES:
Whisk the flours and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour incrementally until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Mix until the dough begins to ball up and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
On a sheet of plastic wrap, shape the dough into a log about 8 inches long and 1 inch in diameter; roll the dough in the plastic wrap to help form the log. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.
Cut the log into 1/4-inch rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes; the cookies will seem underbaked but shouldn’t be completely doughy in the center. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
MAKE THE MARSHMALLOW:
Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over 1/2 cup water in the bowl of the stand mixer. Don’t bother to whisk; the gelatin will absorb the liquid on its own.
Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 1/2 cup water together in a high-sided saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid no longer feels grainy. Clip a candy thermometer to the saucepan and bring the sugar syrup to a boil. When the sugar syrup reaches 245°F (firm-ball stage), remove it from the heat.
Carefully pour the hot syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Using the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk at low speed for 30 seconds. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 6 minutes, adding the vanilla during the last minute. The liquid will turn from syrupy and frothy to a light, fluffy, and shiny white marshmallow mixture that forms soft peaks when the mixer is stopped and the whisk is lifted.
Fit a pastry bag or gallon-size zip-top bag with a large round piping tip and fill with marshmallow (see How to Fill a Pastry Bag, page 187). Pipe marshmallow on top of each cooled cookie. Allow the cookies to rest at room temperature for 1 hour to set the marshmallow.
COAT THE COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed paper and place a wire cooling rack on top, so that any excess chocolate will drip through the wire screen onto the paper.
Melt 8 ounces (1⅓ cups) of the chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula for about 6 to 7 minutes, until the chocolate is fully melted and completely smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and place on a cool surface. Stir in the shortening until fully melted, then add the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and stir to melt. Check the temperature as you stir; it needs to drop to 84°F to 86°F for the chocolate to temper. (What does “tempering chocolate” mean? See page 127.) Continue to stir periodically as the chocolate cools. Once the chocolate is at the right temperature, place it back over low heat and bring the temperature up to 91°F to 93°F. Don’t let the chocolate get hotter than 93°F or you’ll need to cool and heat it again, and that’s a pain.
Remove the chocolate from the heat and dip each Mallomar into the chocolate, marshmallow-side down. Flip gently with a fork to coat completely, spreading and removing any excess chocolate with the spatula. Lift the cookie out of the melted chocolate, allowing any globs of chocolate to drip off the cookie and back into the pan. Place the coated Mallomar on the wire rack.
Let the Mallomars rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the chocolate coating to harden before serving.
Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.